Joe Mantegna in the Nation’s Capital

Joe Mantegna is in the Nation’s Capital this Memorial Day Weekend playing many upstanding roles that share both his passion as an Italian and his pride for being an American.  

Thursday, May 24^th he hosted the 30th Annual National Education and Leadership Awards Gala for the Sons and Daughters of Italy as Master of Ceremonies at the National Harbor's Gaylord Hotel and Convention Center.  An extraordinary event that awards 11 scholarships to young Italian Americans; over 25k to wounded heroes and honors three prominent Italian Americans each year for their work of excellence.  This year’s recipients included Dr. Micheal Sofia awarded the 2018 Humanitarian Award; The DelGrosso Family awarded the 2018 National Education and Leadership; and Lawrence Peduzzi awarded the 2018 Excellence in Business.

Sunday, May 30th Joe will Co-host the annual National Memorial Day Concert from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. This stellar event is free and open to the public and showcases many outstanding performances and renowned talent. To learn more on National Memorial Day Concert visit here.

Joe shares with CiaoDC about his anti-defamation work in Hollywood; his most recent project on and off the screen; his dedication to the events he hosts;  and where he prefers to dine when in D.C. listen here 

Celebrating Mediterranean Diet Month with Chef/Author Amy Riolo

Enjoy CiaoDC's weekly chat with one of the world's most foremost authorities on culinary culture, Amy Riolo.  Amy is an award-winning chef, author, television personality, and Mediterranean lifestyle advocate.

She discusses with CiaoDC the benefits of the Italian table and the many ways she is bringing the Mediterranean lifestyle to Washingtonians. Savor Amy's love of the Mediterranean lifestyle via her culinary tours, kids' camps, live seminars, and more in this exclusive interview!


Special thank you to our weekly chat sponsor, the National Organization Italian of American Women. This week's  chat features special guest, Diana Femia, President of the Washington, DC Chapter.  Learn more about NOIAW’s mission and events around town here.

Faction of Fools Theatre Company Presents Commedia dell'Arte Rendition of "The Cherry Orchard"

Tickets are now available for Faction of Fools' The Cherry Orchard! Showing at the Eastman Studio Theatre at Gallaudet University, the company will present Anton Chekov's play in an Italian commedia dell'arte style.  

The play, written in 1903, is a farce that follows a Russian aristocrat as she returns to her large estate to pay her mortgage before the land is auctioned.  Widely considered a farce, the show is a beloved 20th-century piece that touches on the larger theme of Russian serfdom.

Follow this link for tickets! The Cherry Orchard will run from May 18th to June 10th.  For more information, visit http://www.factionoffools.org.

Italian Film Screenings: "The Maestro" & "Libya: The Last Exodus"

The Washington Jewish Film Festival will include two Italian films, The Maestro: In Search of the Last Music and Libya: The Last Exodus, in its lineup this week. Visit the E Street Cinema on May 9th or the AFI Silver Theatre on May 10th to view these poignant films. The Maestro: In Search of the Last Music Wednesday, May 9, 6:15 PM | E Street Cinema For more than 30 years, one man has single-handedly taken on a unique challenge: tracking down, archiving, and performing all the pieces of music written and composed in WWII camps. The film captures a gripping quest to overcome oblivion, and to preserve the memory of these women and men-of all nationalities and backgrounds-who turned music into an act of ultimate resistance. https://www.wjff.org/film/maestro/ Libya: The Last Exodus Thursday, May 10, 7:30 PM | AFI Silver Theatre Following past tributes to the Jewish communities of Egypt and Rhodes, Ruggero Gabbai presents a moving portrait of the thriving Jewish community that once resided in Libya. From Italian colonization, through foreign domination, and delicate cohabitation with the local Arab population, the film depicts the life of the Jews of Libya who lived in the country for centuries until the events of 1967, when violent riots forced them to leave and never come back. -Note adapted from the Jerusalem Jewish Film Festival https://www.wjff.org/film/libya/

Tony LoBianco Shares His Role as Fiorello La Guardia and the Art of Being Italian

'' I love being Italian...it's a very wonderful,
dramatic experience...we are full of love, we are full of passion, we are full of life, we enjoy people, we cherish family…"

- TonyLoBianco, Actor, Writer, Producer


Listen to this intimate CiaoDC Chat with actor, writer and producer, Tony LoBianco about being mayor, Fiorello La Guardia in his one-man show, Little Flower; his amazing foundation work, Heroes to Heroes; and what beingItalian really means to him.


Tony LoBianco brings ''America's'' mayor, Fiorello La Guardia, to life in the one man show Little Flower.  The show will be performed on May 12 at 6 pm at the War Memorial of Baltimore in honor of the Italian Cultural Center of Maryland.  Tony brings us behind the scenes of his life as an actor, producer, philanthropist, and Italian-Amerian.

The Little Flower is an educational, inspirational and at times comedic one-man show set in the office of Fiorello H. La Guardia, during his last day as three-term Mayor of New York City in 1945.  The Little Flowerpresents a historic look into the life and career of Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia - a courageous and flamboyant personality, who fought against corruption and cleaned up city politics setting a new standard for mayors and politicians in America.  He was a great statesman and champion of the poor and under privileged, and a father figure to millions of Americans living through the hard times of the 1930’s and 1940’s.   The show is set in “present time-1945” and “flashbacks.”  Chronologically, it re-enacts important events in La Guardia’s life and the lessons he learned.  

more information and to buy tickets here.